mulch for 2 year bare root raspberries/gooseberries

Tra

Hello,

have recently planted 2 year old autumn fruiting raspberries and Hinno gooseberries.

I have added compost and BFB to help with root development and I have also put some rotted manure around the plants.

Once this manure has been carried by the worms, to below, should I add an additional mulch?

Many thanks

fidgetbones

Mulch each spring. I scatter a handful of fertiliser along the row at the same time. Mulch is fairly essential with raspberries, as you cannot hoe between them as the roots are very shallow.

Tra

Thanks Fidgetbones but as they are young, 2 year old canes should I still mulch them now?

Also, I’ve put some rotted manure on, would this suffice or should I top this with bark chippings or strulch along the rows?

Ive never planted fruit bushes before so this is a massive learning curve – they are autumn fruiting – I expect that they will throw out some canes that I can snip off?

Thanks for the advice regarding fertilising too. Very helpful ! Would ypou use something like bonemal or blood fish and bone for this?

fidgetbones

Well rotted manure will suffice. The object of a mulch is to keep down weeds. You will have to hand pull any that come through it.  I use BFB. I mulch  every spring, including the first year I planted them. If they are autumn fruiting raspberries (primocane) like polka, all of the old canes should have been cut to the ground earlier this year.  The new raspberry canes that come up are the ones that will bear fruit this year. After fruiting, you cut them to the ground again in Winter.  Gooseberries, I prune after the fruit has been taken off, so I wouldn't touch them for the first year.  If you have a bonfire, sprinkle the ash around the gooseberries as well as a mulch.

Dovefromabove

Don't snip off any canes ... they'll be providing your fruit in the autumn.  You prune autumn fruiting raspberries in February by cutting everything down to ground level.

  

Tra

Thanks Fidgetbones this us is so helpful. The autumn fruiting raspberries are the Joan J ones – this is the first year I have planted them and I dug in compost and some BFB and I have topped the soil with the rotted manure so I shall leave this for now and hand weed .

When I planted them I did cut them to ground level about 25cm but I’m wondering if it’s necessary to cut them even closer to the ground -  I shall see if I can upload a picture this week. Thanks so much about the goose advice too – this is very helpful – I shall just leave them as such and I shall try to upload a photo this week.

Much thanks Fidegtbones

Tra

Thanks Dove, I have just cut down the newly planted 2 year bare rood to 25cm, that’s the only one I’ve cut down – I shall leave any that shoot up to ensure I get some berries!  I believe the canes I have planted don’t need support either which is handy, but I shall see how they go. Many thanks and much appreciated

wild edges

I use old carpet to 'mulch' my fruit bushes. Great for moisture and weed control but not the prettiest to look at.

Blue Onion

I use grass clippings and mown leaves to mulch my cane fruit and strawberries.. and bark mulch for my berry bushes.  

Tra

many thanks all - this is so very helpful - I think I will leave the rotted manure on and once it is crumbly and incorporated into soil with add some wood chippings. This is all so helpful so thank you very much!

Igrowfromseed

I'm about to chip a load of branches and was thinking of putting the chippings around the strawberries. Are the wood chippings likely to increase the risk of the fruit going mouldy during a wet summer?